Rare on singles, Richie Spice is just as rare on albums: we had to wait three years after "Gideon Boot" to hear the finest representative of the new-roots generation again. Richie Spice spins the biblical metaphor once more on his fifth album, "Book of Job".
The choice of the Book of Job as a theme is no accident, a direct reference to the Old Testament book that tells the story of Job, a pious and virtuous man, rich and selfless. Satan puts him to the test, destroying his possessions and killing his children. Job accepts the punishment without renouncing God, who, at the end of a long dialogue, restores his fortune, his children and his health.
Like Job, who never renounced God, Richie Spice has never strayed from his musical path, always preaching virtue and positive values. Richie Spice's powerful faith is well known, and he is convinced that his talent is divine. That spiritual demand is not lacking on "Book of Job": with its two trilogies devoted to Jah (including the astonishing Father, which closes the album on a low note) and to the African woman, Richie dedicates half of his album to these themes. We should also highlight the very good opener Better tomorrow, in which he affirms his confidence in the future, and Legal, a song inspired by his visit to Gorée Island in Senegal.
"An album shows your art and your creativity better," Richie Spice told us in an interview. That is true. But like its predecessors, "Book of Job" suffers from tracks recorded some time ago. Three years after "Gideon Boot", that was to be feared... Which takes nothing away from the quality of the tracks in question, such as the very good My Life (Chemistry riddim), Soothing Sound (Indiscretion riddim) and Jah never let us down (Automatic riddim), all released in 2009... And what can we say of Serious Woman, a lovely tribute to women recorded on Shane Brown's (Jukeboxx) Nylon riddim, released in 2008.
It remains a quality album all the same, a little short (where is his duet with J Boog?) but coherent despite the diversity of the productions. Above all, after three years away, it marks a reunion with Richie Spice's distinctive voice.
